Te Pire Haeata ki Parihaka / Parihaka Reconciliation Bill

I move, That Te Pire Haeata ki Parihaka / Parihaka Reconciliation Bill be now read a third time.

Tēnei ahau te tū ake hei mihi ki te whānau o Parihaka, puta atu mai ki roto tēnei Whare. Kua oti kē ngā mahi ki tērā taha, ki roto i tērā whare, engari, nau mai, haere mai, whakatau mai ki tēnei tō tātou Whare. Nā reira, kia ora.

[Here I am standing to greet the whānau of Parihaka, from outside into this House. We have already finished up the work of that side, inside that house; however, welcome, welcome, welcome into our House. Therefore, greetings.]

I want to extend a warm welcome to the Parihaka community, who have returned here again for the final reading of this bill, Te Pire Haeata ki Parihaka, the Parihaka Reconciliation Bill. E aku rangatira, tēnā koutou katoa. As you walked on to Parliament grounds this morning, and sitting here in the gallery now, you embody your ancestors, the many generations who have passed on, your people now and into the future.

Aku iti, aku rahi, tēnā rā koutou.

[To the assembled masses, greetings.]

I welcome also the extended iwi Te Tai Hauāuru to this House, and I am pleased we can celebrate this special day together.

This bill sets out in legislation for the very first time the visionary leadership and traditions, ngā taonga tuku iho, of the great Te Whiti o Rongomai and Tohu Kākahi. It is a privilege to acknowledge here today their philosophy of peace—he hōnore, he korōria, he maungārongo ki a tātou katoa.

As I work through the names, all of whom have shown incredible leadership, determination, and commitment to this work, I acknowledge the Parihaka Papakāinga Trust and its various chairs over the past few years: Amokura Panoho, Puna Wano-Bryant, and, of course, Tina Mason, who has led the trust through these final stages. Te Kawe Tutaki, the group set up in December 2014 to understand the aspirations of the Parihaka community and advise Ministers on how the Crown would support them—Dame Tariana Turia, the Rt Hon Jim Bolger, the Hon Mahara Okeroa, Amokura Panoho, and Ruakere Hond—made bold recommendations to the Crown on how to improve the relationship between the Crown and Parihaka. They identified areas where the Crown could support Parihaka’s aspirations and the Crown listened.

I also would like to acknowledge the previous Minister for Māori Development, the Hon Te Ururoa Flavell, and the previous Attorney-General, the Hon Christopher Finlayson, whose leadership within the Crown made today possible; the agencies and local authorities who have committed to support Parihaka as it moves forward and officials at Te Arawhiti for their dedication throughout the reconciliation process; the Parihaka community for their kindness and generosity towards the officials, and, given your historical experience with the Crown, officials were honoured to have your trust during our time together; and also the Parliamentary Counsel Office and very skilled dual-language translators who made it possible for this legislation to be drafted both in English and Te Reo Māori.

Te Ture Haeata ki Parihaka, the Parihaka Reconciliation Act, will be the third dual-language legislation to be enacted in our Parliament. On 9 June 2017, Ministers Te Ururoa Flavell and Christopher Finlayson both read the Crown apology in Te Reo Māori and English. What more appropriate and powerful way to acknowledge the Crown’s failure to uphold the principles of partnership and good faith that Te Tiriti o Waitangi embodies.

This bill, soon to become law, confirms the commitments made on 9 June 2017 by the Crown and the Parihaka community at He Puanga Haeata, the ceremony of reconciliation, and recorded in Te Kawenata ō Rongo, the deed of reconciliation. The bill records the Crown’s apology to the people of Parihaka past and present for the historical actions of the Crown. It also records the legacy statement, which summarises the origins and the history of the community and sets out the aspirations of the community for its future. Finally, the bill provides statutory protection for the name Parihaka against unauthorised commercial use.

Many of the speeches in this House during the second reading of this bill focused on the grim history of Crown actions at Parihaka and it was front and centre during the reconciliation ceremony in 2017. The reading of the legacy statement that day was an historic moment. In their own words, the people of Parihaka made the depth of their pain clear to everyone who listened. That voice is a testament to the importance of history, both for Parihaka and all New Zealanders. And that’s one of the reasons why this Government has made the decision that New Zealand history must be taught in our schools.

Importantly, however, and we must all note, that you, the Parihaka whānau and community, made it clear that your story did not end in 1881. History is ongoing and we create history today. You made it clear that the intolerance and brutality displayed by the Crown during those dark days did not and does not define who you are. This is best illustrated by your decision to reach out to the descendants of those who had participated in the invasion and destruction of the settlement 140 years ago. By doing so, Parihaka extended the reconciliation beyond themselves and the Crown, and included individuals and families who have long carried their own burden. That gesture epitomises the legacy of Parihaka and the philosophy of Te Whiti o Rongomai and Tohu Kākahi. By inviting the descendants of the armed constabulary to the reconciliation ceremony, you demonstrated your absolute commitment to peace and reconciliation; inā te mahi a te rangatira [that is the job of a leader].

That act shows our nation that although the past sometimes walks very close behind us, it is possible to turn and face even the darkest aspects of our history and begin the process of healing with openness, honesty, and aroha. This act of humanity shows that no matter what has come before, there must always be a new chapter to write. It is with this in mind that I respectfully choose to not recount the Crown’s historical actions in detail today. Other members will do that in the speeches that follow. I will instead reflect on the immense harm those actions have caused to the people of Parihaka and to Māori from across Taranaki and Aotearoa over many generations.

The Crown deeply regrets and apologises for its actions—ka whakamā, ka tuohu, ka noho whakaiti [embarrassed, downcast, and humbled].

The bill we are here to debate today includes the legacy statement and the apology the Crown has offered to Parihaka for its historical actions. I encourage every member of this House, and indeed every New Zealander, to read those documents and to reflect on them.

E Te Whare, today is a new dawn. While we will never forget the night that preceded it, we continue to move forward. Earlier, I described the leaders of Parihaka, Te Whiti o Rongomai and Tohu Kākahi, as visionaries. They are also names synonymous with a compassionate attitude they promoted towards all people and of the foresight they had to establish a self-sufficient community. To date, the poverty and deprivation caused by the Crown has made it virtually impossible for the community to build on that legacy and to test how it might be applied in our time. For that reason, a significant aspect of the reconciliation process is the provision of a fund that will be used by Parihaka to help secure basic infrastructure needs such as water, waste management, and reliable internet.

This work will build the foundation, the necessary foundation, for the revitalisation of the community and for the achievement of its vision. And that vision is an exciting one. It includes housing projects aimed at promoting the health and wellbeing of its residents and the environment, a plan to become a centre for language revitalisation and peace studies; initiatives to protect, preserve, and promote the community’s rich historical heritage; the development of facilities to educate the young and to care for the elderly; the production of food using traditional methods; the production of energy; and the development of leaders—among many, many other projects. This is an ambitious vision, but Parihaka will not be alone. The Crown is here to walk alongside you.

This bill records a relationship agreement between the Parihaka Papakāinga Trust and a range of agencies and local authorities. A regular forum between Parihaka leaders and the Crown will ensure that the commitments are met.

While we are here today to celebrate the passing of this historic legislation, we must all think about what reconciliation means. The story of Parihaka did not finish in 1881. It did not finish in 2017. And it does not finish here today.

As we heard Ruakere say earlier this afternoon, ehara tēnei ko te rangi whakamutunga, engari ko te whakamutunga o te tīmatanga [this is not the final day but is the end of the beginning]. So it is time to begin that next chapter. Future generations will be the ones to decide whether our relationship has been reconciled. I look to the tamariki in the gallery, as I did in the Legislative Council Chamber earlier, and ask that we all walk this path with genuine intentions and open hearts for them. Nā reira, tātou mā, huri rauna i tō tātou Whare: tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou.

[Therefore, one and all, throughout our House: greetings, greetings.]

Tēnā koutou, Mr Speaker. I commend this bill to the House.

E Te Mana Whakawā, tēnā koe. E koro mā, e kui mā, e rau rangatira mā, tēnei te mihi atu ki a koutou katoa. Kei te harikoa ki te kite i a koutou i tēnei rā whakahirahira. Nau mai, haere mai.

[To the elders and to the many leaders, I would like to acknowledge you all. I am happy to see you on this important occasion. Welcome, welcome.]

Before I start my contribution, I have some words from the Hon Chris Finlayson, and from my colleague Harete Hipango, who can’t be here today. I will just read out the Hon Chris Finlayson’s message to the whānau of Parihaka. So the Hon Chris Finlayson passes on his best wishes to the folk of Parihaka, and to let them know how much they mean to him and that he wants to work with them on building the disputes resolution centre. From my colleague Harete Hipango, who is unable to be here today, she passes on her regrets for her absence: “My thoughts of our Parihaka tipuna and uri of past, present, and future is with you all today, at the passage of this bill of reconciliation into living law. My profound belief and knowledge that Parihaka has not succumbed to the depravity of the injustices, and continues to rise and rise tonu ake [once again]. E te whanaunga o Parihaka, ka rawe—ngā mihi tonu [To the relations of Parihaka, excellent—continuing praise].” That is from Harete Hipango.

I start my contribution in the third reading of Te Pire Haeata ki Parihaka / the Parihaka Reconciliation Bill with a whakataukī spoken by Te Whiti o Rongomai and Tohu Kākahi, the prophet leaders of Parihaka. Ko te pō te kaihari i te rā, ko te mate te kaihari i te oranga—night is the bringer of day as death is the bringer of life; it is the theme that I choose today. And today, we are seeing the dawning of a new era for the whānau of Parihaka. Today, there is reconciliation by the Crown of the invasion of Parihaka by colonial troops over 140 years ago. Today, we all bear witness as the night shepherds in a new day of reconciliation, as we remember those brave men who were wrongly arrested, with some giving their lives so their whānau can live on; the brave women who endured the hideous crimes forced on them; the dark days, like death itself, where children were forced to endure a horrendous past as some retold their experiences to their mokopuna, and so the hurt has travelled down through the generations. Reconciliation brings with it a new beginning, a new life—where Parihaka has told of its past and its present and will forge a new future, that they will tell in their way when they are ready; where Parihaka will truly belong to Parihaka.

Today is a special day for us all, where it marks a place in New Zealand history that we should never venture back there again. So, like many of my colleagues here today, I am humbled and privileged that I should be part of this significant event in the history of Parihaka. I thank the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Settlements, Minister Andrew Little, and the Minister for Māori Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti, Minister Kelvin Davis, who have picked up the work from the former Minister the Hon Chris Finlayson and seen through to the conclusion this, Te Pire Haeata ki Parihaka / the Parihaka Reconciliation Bill. Nā reira, e te whānau o Parihaka me ngā mema o Te Pāremata, tēnā rā koutou katoa. Kia ora.

[Therefore, to the whānau of Parihaka and the members of Parliament, greetings to one and all. Thank you.]

Tēnā koe, Mr Speaker. E te whānau o Parihaka, ngā iwi o Te Tai Hauāuru, tēnā koutou. Nau mai, whakatau mai. Nau mai, whakatau mai ki tēnei rā nui, whakahirahira. E tū tautoko ana ahau i tēnei pire, i tana pānuitanga tuatoru. Nō reira, ka huri ngā whakaaro ki a rātou mā, haere, haere koutou. Hoki mai ki a tātou te kanohi ora. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

[Greetings, Mr Speaker. To the whānau of Parihaka, the tribes of Te Tai Hauāuru, greetings. Welcome, welcome. Welcome to this grand day, to this important day. I stand in support of this bill and its third reading. Accordingly, I turn my thoughts to those who have passed: go in peace. Returning to us, the living, greetings one and all.]

I’m delighted to stand here in support of this landmark bill at its third reading—so much history embedded in this bill, in this legislation. Te Kawenata ō Rongo, the deed of reconciliation, is a very important document, a very important kawenata, covenant, that brings together the people of Te Parihaka and the Crown; the acknowledgment that the Crown has made within those solemn documents of the grievous acts that were committed with the invasion of Parihaka. I think we must hold that front and centre because that is a dark spot on our history, but it is a fact of colonisation that events like the invasion of Parihaka did occur, and it had lasting impacts on the people of Parihaka which have continued for generations.

But I want to acknowledge this is a very important landmark bill. I want to acknowledge the leadership of the Parihaka Papakāinga Trust, but also all of those who have been involved within Parihaka, within Government—whether it’s the previous administration or the current Government—and everyone that has been involved in leading us up to this point. In particular, the whānau of Parihaka, who have continued on with their acknowledgments and their practices that they do every month, daily, in terms of their everyday lives, of the work and the acknowledgment in the history and the legacy that they all flow from—the great prophets of Tohu and Te Whiti.

So this is a really important piece of legislation. I’m delighted to have played a little part, with our Māori Affairs Committee, in travelling to Parihaka to hear from the whānau, to be able to incorporate some of their hopes and aspirations that they wanted to include in the bill.

I’m pleased that we were able to do those things, to not only acknowledge and put into the force of law Te Kawenata ō Rongo but also engage acknowledgments seeking authorisation for the commercial use of the name Parihaka and also giving respect and the right for the hau kāinga, the Papakāinga Trust, to have some control and some authority over Parihaka—the name Parihaka, the place Parihaka. So I’m proud of the work that we did as the Māori Affairs Committee to find the limits of what we could do to meet those wawata, those hopes, of the Papakāinga Trust.

As I’ve mentioned, this is a significant day. I’m in two moods at the moment. I’m obviously in a mournful mood, a very poignant mood. It’s a really reflective mood, as we think back on the history of Parihaka, the impact that it’s had on the forebears of our esteemed guests and manuhiri that are here today. But I’m also optimistic. I’m optimistic that through Te Kawenata ō Rongo and through this bill, the Crown has learnt and acknowledged its historical wrongs, but it’s also creating this relationship that will move into the future with all of the elements that are contained within Te Kawenata ō Rongo.

I want to once again just acknowledge the hau kāinga, all who have supported this bill, who are going to be part of this bill. It’s really significant, because I’m inspired when I think of Parihaka. These people, this wonderful whānau from Parihaka, are world leaders, because their tūpuna Tohu and Te Whiti are acknowledged world leaders in terms of their visionary thinking around passive resistance, non-violence. It’s world leading, and it is really inspirational, not only for us here in Aotearoa but also for the world. We know that because so many 20th century leaders picked up on and seized on the legacy and the teachings and that example of passive resistance. We see that through Gandhi and through Martin Luther King and other esteemed leaders globally.

So this little place of Parihaka is really special. It is an example to the world. In fact, it attracts people from all over the world, and that’s why it’s really important that we tidy things up through Te Kawenata ō Rongo and through this bill. But it also ensures that the actual people of Parihaka, the descendants of the great leaders, are in the driver’s seat in terms of what happens from here on in, and the Crown is going to be right there in terms of supporting those aspirations as well.

So I’m very proud of the impact that we will see from this legislation. I know it’s going to be a fantastic future that we look forward to. As mentioned in the whaikōrero, this is just the beginning. This is the beginning. There’s a lot of work that’s gone on, but this is the beginning of a wonderful new future for the Papakāinga Trust and for the people of Parihaka. Parihaka, as we know, was a thriving township—thriving township—and I know that many of those aspirations are there to strengthen that community and improve many of the buildings and the infrastructure and also all of the activities that go on. So those are all contained within Te Kawenata ō Rongo and will be given added depth and strength through the ongoing work that the Papakāinga Trust will be conducting. So I just once again want to pay acknowledgment.

I saw some pretty heavy, heavy kaumātua of the Parliament today. I saw the Rt Hon Jim Bolger—I sat right next to him—I see the Hon Mahara Okeroa, and I acknowledge the Hon Chris Finlayson and the Hon Kelvin Davis. This has been a united Parliament in terms of the good wishes that we all have through the enactment of this bill, and we certainly are all united today to come together as a House to ensure that it will pass its third reading.

So, with that, I just once again want to acknowledge all of the whānau. I want to acknowledge those in particular that we heard at the select committee, Erana Hond in particular—so much wonderful kōrero that we heard. We heard the essence of the feeling of the whānau there and the hope that they have for the future through the signing of this deed of reconciliation and also through the passage of this bill.

With that, I just want to support this bill, tautoko it, and mihi to all the whānau here. Nō reira, e aku rangatira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora tātou katoa.

The last speaker, Rino Tirikatene, reflected on mood. It’s always hard when you’re doing bills like this, because, actually, there’s always a sense of happiness that we’ve come to a resolution but sadness around what has been before. So I totally understand what he was saying. I would like to acknowledge the local members of Parliament, Adrian Rurawhe and Jonathan Young. I’m close to Parihaka as a member of Parliament, but I was much closer as a citizen when I grew up in the town of Ōpunake.

Every time I think about this, I think about the time when I was growing up, particularly the time when I was at the local high school and I knew Parihaka was there. But, shamefully, none of us actually ever knew what it meant, what it was about, and I’m thankful that now we’ve got to this point where we’ve actually reached an agreement. I want to thank the people of Parihaka for your generosity and for the spirit in which you have worked through this process. It has taken an extremely long time, and it’s always happy that we’ve got to this point.

But, you know, when I look back, I notice that the legacy statement starts in 1813. So for us who stand and sit in this House today, we’re here now and we’re in this process where we are happy because we’ve been able to agree on a way forward, but it is with a sense of sadness and tragedy of everything that’s happened before us. So, you know, I’m not going to go through the legacy, the history, because others have spoken about it. The Hon Kelvin Davis described this as a new dawn. And I notice that phase 9 in the legacy talks about the aspirations of Parihaka. At the moment, the aspirations of Parihaka are filling everyone’s hearts with plans and dreams, and it’s only the beginning of the aspirations for the next future that’s coming and the next part of the legacy that you’re going to live through.

So it’s an opportunity today to celebrate, to realise your dreams, to be able to move forward, and to remember your ancestors and all the people that have gone before you. It’s a chance to reflect on the apology. I was at Parihaka on that day when the apology was made and it was one of the most meaningful days I’ve ever, ever experienced. So today, I want to wish you all the very best. Thank you for coming to the House of Parliament. Thank you for all the effort that you’ve made, because the effort is all around the people of Parihaka. So I wish you all the best for the future in your aspirations and we look forward to engaging with you as we work forward into your future. Kia ora.

Tēnā koe, Mr Speaker. It is an absolute privilege to stand on behalf of New Zealand First and make my contribution on this Te Pire Haeata ki Parihaka / Parihaka Reconciliation Bill, now in its third reading. I extend a very warm welcome to you all here today, to the leaders and whānau of Parihaka. You have honoured us by being here today. To the Parihaka Papakāinga Trust, welcome. To the previous Minister for Māori Development, the Hon Te Ururoa Flavell, and our former Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations as well, the Hon Christopher Finlayson, for the work that you did to bring us here today to this third reading, I acknowledge you and it’s lovely to see you here in the gallery. Minister for Māori Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti, Kelvin Davis, for shepherding us through the House too today and to all the officials, some I see in the gallery, for the work that you have done, collating the stories, bringing together the documents—the culmination of all your work is today in the House that we are now speaking to.

The Māori Affairs Committee—I was privileged to be a member of it while we visited you in Parihaka for the hearings and then also for the second reading. It was a privilege for me as well to be a part of that process. The chair of the committee, Rino Tirikatene, thank you for your work leading the committee. As Rino has said, this is an historic moment tinged with sadness, but also the optimism as now, from this point on, a new day has begun. Ko Taranaki maunga, muruhia. Ko Taranaki whenua, muruhia. Ko Taranaki moana, muruhia. Ko Taranaki tangata e tū tonu nei. Tihei mauri ora.

The Crown has apologised for its historical actions at Parihaka. The Crown has committed to reconciling its relationship directly with the Parihaka community, and so it should. The atrocities that were conducted—it is not for me to tell you your history; it not for me to lay before you all of those atrocities. They are now down in Hansard, so it is a record that will be for ever in this House. But what I would like to put on the record is that the legacy of peace, of passive resistance, will ripple across the planet for all eternity, and your suffering has provided a gift to the world.

Something else that doesn’t really equate with the totality of what that means is that there is a dollar figure that’s been attached to this reconciliation bill, because actually no money would be enough to compensate and to reconcile for what has happened. We can only use the past to help shape our future, to learn from the past and to truly understand and regret what happened at Parihaka and to make it right. Only then is reconciliation possible.

For me, it was an absolute privilege to come to Parihaka with the Māori Affairs Committee to hear the submissions both there and in Wellington. I’m the granddaughter of a woman who grew up in Kaponga. My sister now lives in Pātea. So we have a connection to Taranaki, and I don’t take it for granted now that I’ve been to Parihaka.

Something that I’d like to mention in this House is that whenever there is a significant moment in our history—of which this is one absolutely at the top of our consciousness—art is always a way of expressing what has happened. The story of Parihaka has captured the hearts and the minds of our artists, our poets, our musicians, and film makers as well. This creative artistic expression in all of its forms is a way of us expressing what has happened during that particular historical moment.

Next week, as some of you may know, there will be the launch of a new documentary, the Stories of Waitara, and it’s been put together by Mihingārangi Forbes and the amazing Annabelle Lee-Mather. I note in it that one of your leaders, Ruakere Hond, features in it. I’m very much looking forward to the launch of that documentary. One of the features in the documentary is the pakō, pakō, pakō, the drumbeat of the poi, and that’s the symbolism that will echo through the documentary. It replicates the sound, the beating sound, of the drums of the soldiers. So I think this is a documentary which will have a great impact on not just the telling of the story to New Zealanders but for the future telling of that story. The augmented reality, the recreation of the pā in the documentary—this is going to be something worth watching.

There have been art exhibitions—Parihaka: The Art of Passive Resistance. This gathered together some of the most significant artists in New Zealand history: works by Colin McCahon, Ralph Hotere, Tony Fomison, Gordon Walters—this artistic legacy that has been inspired by the story of Parihaka. My father died in 1972, and my mother went and bought a painting, and it hung in our house for many, many years. It was called “Tangi”, and it was painted by Colin McCahon in 1972 from the “Necessary Protection” series. Only just recently did I realise it was about Parihaka. When we find the threads of how our lives are interwoven with yours, we are able to see the magnitude of what that means. To be in the House today and to echo the words that we’ve heard—what the Minister has said about the apology from the Crown, but how it is now a new day and a new dawn for you—that is something for us all to celebrate.

In 1989, Tim Finn and Herbs put together a song that was called “Parihaka”:

I know Te Whiti will never be defeated,

And even at the darkest hour,

His presence will remain.

I’ll sing for you a song of Parihaka.

I’ll sing for you a song of Parihaka.

Come to Parihaka.

Weep for my lost brother.

The spirit of non-violence

Has come to fill the silence.

Come to Parihaka.

He kororia ki Te Atua runga rawa. He maungārongo ki runga ki te whenua. He whakaaro pai ki ngā tāngata katoa.

[Glory to God above. Peace and harmony on the land. Kind thoughts to all people.]

This whakataukī, this proverb, comes from Luke 2:14, and it’s been reproduced on the tiki, the memorial stone, of Te Whiti o Rongomai of Parihaka.

So I’d like to conclude my contribution this afternoon by saying that New Zealand First wants to join in taking a role in ushering in a new day of hope and prosperity for the people of Parihaka, the people of Taranaki. Today, with my colleagues, we want to celebrate a forward-looking vision to see beyond te pōuri nui o Parihaka. I commend this bill to the House.

Tēnā koutou katoa e te whānau o Parihaka. Nau mai, haere mai ki Te Whare Pāremata o tana pire, the Parihaka Reconciliation Bill.

[Greetings to you all, greetings to the family of Parihaka. Welcome, welcome to Parliament’s bill, the Parihaka Reconciliation Bill.]

The temporary Speaker tonight is Ian McKelvie, a National Party man, and I consider him our kaumātua. I’ve always referred to him as our kaumātua. But I think you’re outranked in the gallery there, well and truly.

I’d like to acknowledge Minister for Māori Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti, Kelvin Davis, who’s shepherding this bill through the House. He’s a man from the North, and he’s a good man. I’d also like to acknowledge Rino Tirikatene, who is another good man, chair of the select committee that I’m on.

💬 Matt Doocey: Good Canterbury boy.

Good Canterbury man, yes. National supports this bill. Today is a great day for the people of Parihaka and for New Zealand. This bill recognises and rights the wrongs of the past, and seeks to strengthen the partnership between Crown and iwi. Previous speakers over previous readings have well and truly traversed the detail, so I will not go into that detail, but this bill is well overdue. Settlements around the country, and this is no different, will unlock economic prosperity and boost regional and provincial areas.

We as National are very proud of our record in the area of Treaty settlement. We as National have settled the vast majority of the Treaty claims, and for that I would like to acknowledge the former Treaty Minister Chris Finlayson, who did a huge amount of work on this bill and in previous Treaty settlements. So he’s a man that we’re going to really miss. However, I can’t take away anything from the current Government, who have picked up the baton and run with it. We have to right the past and we have to all get along and be great Kiwis in this great country.

Now, I am on the Māori Affairs Committee, and I have to say it’s a real honour, because it gives me a real insight into a part of the history of New Zealand that—I’ll be honest with you—I did not have a great knowledge of. So being part of the Māori Affairs Committee has allowed me to understand some parts of our history, some really important parts of our history, that I really honestly did not know too much about.

But today we are here right now for the people of Parihaka. So let’s enjoy all this together. Nā reira, e te whānau o Parihaka kua tae mai i runga i te kaupapa, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

[Therefore, to the whānau of Parihaka who have arrived on this occasion, greetings to one and all.]

Ki a koutou katoa o Parihaka. E ai ki a Matua Ruakere, ko tēnei te mutunga o te tīmatanga nō reira he mihi aroha. Kua kīkī tēnei Whare i ngā uri. E te hapori o Parihaka, nau mai, haere mai. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou. Kia ora mai tātou katoa.

[To those of you representing Parihaka. According to Matua Ruakere, this is the end of the beginning; therefore, I give heartfelt acknowledgments. This House is filled with descendants. To the community of Parihaka, welcome, welcome. Greetings, greetings. Greetings, one and all.]

This morning, at the whakatau, which, can I be honest and say, intimidated every single member of Parliament that was present, it was because we were reminded once again, kanohi kitea, as to the responsibility of shepherding and seeing this final reading of this Te Pire Haeata ki Parihaka / Parihaka Reconciliation Bill through the House today. It was intimidating, as it should be, because this is an historic day. This is again the end of the beginning—the end of the beginning—and it’s been a long beginning to this point. It’s been a long beginning and now we need to live up to the words in this apology from the Crown. We need to live up to the deed that the Crown has a responsibility to uphold, Te Kawenata ō Rongo. We need to truly walk what partnership means, that the vision of Parihaka was to always have a self-determining and self-sufficient community that welcomed everybody, that connected peoples to each other, that held respite for peoples to come and visit, and that connected us back to our land, to our taiao, and to our mātauranga. That is the vision we should have for Te Ao Māori. That is the vision we should have for Aotearoa. That is indeed the vision that we should have for the world. The undermining of the very vision that Te Toko Rua stood for has led us to the big problems that the world is facing today. If only we had listened to Parihaka.

So I’m very, very proud to be able to stand here and support your mahi that never stopped, that continues to happen today. I’m standing here in particular. I have the face of Auntie Aggie right in front of me; her beautiful calm, strong, generous, loving face in front of me, the epitome of everything that is Parihaka. She always welcomed us into that whare, Te Hapū o Rongo. I’ve had the privilege of lying in that whare, in that place, being immersed in the peoples and the manaaki. It’s such a privilege that I will never ever take for granted, even though a couple of times, and I want to acknowledge your uri Jack McDonald, who I am very much bringing with me here to this kōrero today and who sends his aroha that he can’t be here with all of you of Parihaka. Even though Jack and I often used to get growled in that whare for talking too loud, I will always know that I have a home and a bed in that whare.

Of course, that’s where I have to acknowledge Whaea Maata. Whaea Maata, of course, discharged herself because she had to come today—of course, though, of course you have to be here today, Whaea Maata. I would have done exactly the same thing—I would have done exactly the same thing. There is no Parihaka without your purpleness present. Ha, ha! Even better that she has her beautiful mokopuna in lockdown, so to speak, by her side, and that, to me, is everything of Parihaka. It is the transference and the intergenerational connection: our beautiful little mokopuna who amplified Matua Ruakere when he was doing his mihi—it was Rein, I think. He was doing his mihi this morning and was having his kōrero amplified up in the back by the mokopuna, and that is exactly what Parihaka has to do. The generations coming through will amplify the kōrero of our paepae and will amplify the mātauranga that is being passed on, especially in your monthly hui that you have on the 18th and 19th, which, again, is just an example of how you have continued to uphold that vision of wānanga and tautohetohe and waiata and mihi and reo and intergenerational hononga to stay alive.

You’ve always been alive. Te Pire Haeata is simply to strengthen what you have always continued to do in the face of the extreme violence from the Crown. Your generosity, your resilience, your determination, and your courage in the face of that violence over many, many years, over generations in many forms of violence, through all of that you have thrived and you will thrive even more now that the Crown has written accountability to work with you on those visions, on those moemoeā.

Oh, I haven’t even been looking at the clock, jeepers. I, like all of my colleagues—because you can stand here and just pull on the vision, the ngākau, the mahana of what Parihaka means, and I have been privileged to have been a little bit of a part of that. There is no speech preparation that can do that; it’s simply pulling on the essence of what Parihaka represents.

I cannot go past acknowledging further—along with my colleagues—of course, Chris Finlayson, who was really clear about everything that had to be included in the apology from the Crown. He was staunch. He knew that we don’t beat around the bush here. We confront and face what the Crown did. We apologise and we seek an ongoing relationship to correct that harm. And Te Ururoa, who I saw today, who was our leadership in this House to also help bring that to light. The Parihaka Papakāinga Trust and Te Kawe Tūtaki—it was good to see you today, Puna, it was good to see you, Ngahina, even though I haven’t been able to hongi our ihu yet, but I remember you bringing me to remember Te Miringa, whose face is also in front of me.

Puna, Amokura, and Tina, Ruakere, of course, Tariana, and Jim—Ruakere Hond and Jim Bolger photobombed Whaea Maata and me today in the House. It was one of the most high-profile koroua photobombs I have ever had. I will treasure that photo, but the massive efforts of the Parihaka Papakāinga Trust and Te Kawe Tūtaki to bring your people together, because the approach of the Crown has wedged our people apart: whānau to whānau, brother to brother—has wedged our people apart. That has been how they have operated, and so then our leadership has to come in and fix up all that wehenga and fix up all that mess. You’ve done it and you’re still doing that mahi, and that mahi never stops. So I acknowledge the incredible vision and pathways you already have, the plans you have in place, the work, the big mahi you are dreaming of and have already put in place, and it is lifelong mahi to see Parihaka grow and grow and grow and to become a self-determining and self-sufficient community that it once was and will be again.

I am pleased that we made an announcement here of the importance of having history in our schools. So may more of our children learn about the story of Parihaka. Nō reira, he mihi aroha, he mihi hōhonu ki a koutou katoa, te ātaahuatanga o Parihaka. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou. Kia ora mai tātou katoa.

[Furthermore, I give deep and heartfelt acknowledgments to you all, the beauty of Parihaka. Greetings, greetings. Greetings, one and all.]

Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. I am humbled today to have this opportunity to tautoko what is a very important bill for New Zealand. I’m humbled and I feel very strongly the Hon Chris Finlayson watching over my shoulder. He is a man who, within the National Party caucus, we hold in great esteem. I know that what we do today is something that was important to him and that he is watching closely. I hope that in my speech I am able to do justice to him and his work.

I want to acknowledge the other kaumātua who have made this possible—in particular, Te Ururoa Flavell, Kelvin Davis, all of those leaders from Taranaki iwi who are among us, and all of those who have worked together to make this possible.

We are here today not only to acknowledge injustice, but also to take inspiration from Parihaka, to acknowledge that Parihaka is not just about the past but also about a vision for what our future can be: that legacy of non-violence, that commitment to self-determination, and the potential for an ongoing harmonious relationship between Pākehā and Māori—the opportunity for a fresh start.

I spoke recently on a settlement bill of Ngāti Hinerangi. When I spoke on that bill, I received an email from somebody who said they were disgusted that I would speak of confiscation, that I would speak of injustice, and that I would speak of people being treated wrongly. I reflected on this and I thought to myself: what is it that makes people so ashamed to acknowledge that these things have happened in our history and they are real? We are here today because shameful events have happened in New Zealand’s history. We are here because of the Crown’s failure to uphold the rule of law. It is that that we are all in this House to honour: the rule of law.

It is hard to imagine today the Crown responding to protests by legislating away people’s right to a fair trial, by legalising continuing detention of those who have sought to protest. It is hard to imagine today the Crown retrospectively legislating to make acceptable the destruction of private property, of homes, and of possessions. But that is what happened at Parihaka. So to those who are listening to me speak, saying “Why are you talking about a shameful history and a shameful past?”, that is why—because here in this House, we must honour the rule of law. When we look to a history where the rule of law has not been upheld, we must feel that shame and we must act and we must respond to it, and that is what this bill does. This bill acknowledges that at Parihaka, there was not one law for all; the law was not upheld.

I am mindful of the Hon Christopher Finlayson’s words, who said, “There can be no reconciliation where one party remembers while the other forgets.” So while it is painful to remember, we must in order to move forward—and I am as impatient as anyone—to have a more positive relationship into the future. But I acknowledge, as those of you here today acknowledge, that we will not do that with integrity and with trust unless we acknowledge what has come before. I am mindful, in particular, of the young people, of the children, of those who were wronged at Parihaka, and the hope and promise that they have, but the need for them to be able to acknowledge the history that has come before them.

So we are here to apologise, to agree to a deed of reconciliation, to make a legally binding commitment of the Crown’s commitment to Parihaka, to create a lasting legacy for those who were wronged.

It wasn’t just about the wrongs of the 1800s; it is also about the lasting stain that that has had, because the Crown denied Parihaka the right to develop and sustain on its own terms. We here in the National Party in particular have a real belief in the rights of individuals and communities to sustain themselves and to make their own choices and to develop their own resources. So I feel particularly keenly the lasting impact that the events at Parihaka will have had. We have failed for too long to address those wrongs and to address the resulting grievances—the intergenerational legacy that those wrongs have left; the legacy of shame.

I’ve talked about shame and I have talked about the broken rule of law, but I also want to talk about positive vision, because we must today honour—and other speakers have done so, so eloquently—those prophets Te Whiti o Rongomai and Tohu Kākahi, because theirs is actually a positive vision of the power of peaceful protest, the power of self-determination, and the ability to cooperate for peace. We should remember them in that positive vision.

We should remember that powerful image of people being met by soldiers who were wanting to destroy their homes and take away their leaders, and people meeting those soldiers with songs of peace and gifts of food. That image is a powerful one, and it is one that we should all think of when we think of the possibility of peace and reconciliation across our communities.

I want to pay tribute to the dignity, the discipline, and the courage of those at Parihaka. I want to take from that aspiration for the future that this relationship agreement will be one that is positive.

I said, at the beginning of this speech, that I was humbled to be able to give it. It is important to me that I acknowledge Dame Tariana Turia, the Rt Hon Jim Bolger, the Hon Mahara Okeroa, and all those who have been more deeply invested and involved in making this settlement today possible. I acknowledge their work.

Coming together in this way is not easy; there have been compromises—I am sure—for all involved, but a great result is what we have today. What we have today is an opportunity for the people of Parihaka and the Crown to bring this law to life, to do the work, to do the talk, to continually renew the vision, and to acknowledge the extraordinary generosity of spirit, the humanity of the people of Parihaka, to create for young children and for future generations a better relationship at this place and an acknowledgement of it. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

So I understand this will be a split call. Both calls will be taken by Labour speakers.

Tēnā koe e Te Māngai. Tēnei ahiahi kua rongo mātou ki te kōrero o te pāpā nei, ko Ruakere. Kua rongo a mātou tana kōrero. Kāore he rā whakamutunga, kāore he rā whakamutunga, heoi anō he rā tīmata o he ara hou. He ara hou mō tēnei Pire Haeata ki Parihaka, otirā, mō tēnei hononga mai i te whānau o Parihaka, mō tēnei, mō mātou ngā tāngata o Te Karauna. Nō reira, kua rongo a mātou tō kōrero e pā.

[This afternoon, we have heard what the elder Ruakere has said. We have heard what he said. There is no end date, there is no end date, but this day is a beginning of a new path. A new path for the “Haeata (New Dawn) Bill” in Parihaka, and, furthermore, for this connection to the whānau of Parihaka, for this, for us the people of the Crown. Therefore, we have heard what you have said.]

As the people from Parihaka came into Parliament this afternoon—sometimes on days like today you can feel a sense of celebration; sometimes you can sense a feeling of perhaps an end and perhaps something moving or a transition to something else. But as the people came in today, the feeling that I was left with in that room, in the korero that I heard, is that there are some days when the injustices of our history grip our feet and churn our stomachs, and sometimes you just can’t shake it off. Some days, our colonial past—we remember just how unjust things are, and we see in the people, generations upon generations upon generations, the trauma that has been carried by whānau anō, anō, anō, and I was reminded of that as the people came into this House today.

We heard the kōrero on that pae that today marks another day, another dawn in a relationship that looks at and attempts to address a history that is marked by a State that has acted very poorly not just in 1881, but for generations upon generations there has been a consistent relationship of harm that has occurred between this House, this State, and your people. So I want to acknowledge that.

It is about 10 years ago since I was last at Parihaka. It was to farewell—he was actually a young man at the time, I think he was only 58—a bit of a nanakia, passionate man, loved his people, loved his pā, committed his life to the restoration of the mana of the stories of Te Whiti o Rongomai and Tohu Kākahi, and would never let anybody forget the role that this State played in terms of its treatment of the people of Parihaka. So I remember Te Miringa today and I acknowledge his children that are in this House, Ti’ikura and Ngahina. While I was reflecting on Te Miringa last night, I was actually having a bit of a laugh about some of the things he used to make us do—run around, blimmin putting up posters for his Parihaka Peace Festival, and many other things. But one of the things that got to me actually, I was thinking—he passed away so young and had really committed his life to, I guess, the telling of the stories of the peoples of Parihaka, and what comes when you are put into those positions, or when you hold those positions close to your heart, and who pays the price.

So today, in part, for me marks a reminder of those—and many of you up there—that have dedicated your lives to the restoration of your stories, the reclamation of our collective history, and I acknowledge you all today.

I look upon my reanga [generation] of peers that are in leadership positions, for your iwi now. You can see the weight that starts to sit on those pokohiwi as you continue to fight the Crown or pursue justice for your people. May we all remember to look after each other, because it’s a long, hard road. So in this short split speech, I want to acknowledge just all of you and your stories, and thank you for your continued history and practice of resistance. Tēnā koutou.

He mihi tuatahi e ngā mate i waenganui i a tātou. Ko Lee Smith. Ko Tame Taurima. Ko Chiquita Pōhatu. Ko Mariana Seymour mā. E ngā mate o te wā kāinga, o te motu, haere, haere, haere atu rā. He mihi tuatahi te iwi o Parihaka. Ōku rau rangatira mā. E kui mā. E koro mā. Nau mai haramai, hoki mai ki o tātou Whare.

[Firstly, to those who have passed on and are amongst us: Lee Smith, Tommy Taurima, Chiquita Pōhatu, Mariana Seymour, and others. To those who have passed from home, from throughout the country, rest in peace. Firstly, I would like to acknowledge the tribe of Parihaka. My distinguished leaders, welcome, welcome, on your return to our House.]

As the member for Ikaroa-Rāwhiti, I am absolutely honoured to take a small call on this significant bill, Te Pire Haeata ki Parihaka / Parihaka Reconciliation Bill.

Back in the mid-1980s, a young 22-year-old started a role in what was then called the Māori Perspective Unit of the Department of Labour, in the building just behind us, the Charles Fergusson Building. That unit morphed into what was called the Community Employment Group, and it was in that time that I worked in that group that I came across Amokura Panaho and, obviously, the late Hon Parekura Horomia. So apart from being his chauffeur/driver and travelling around the country, one of the first places we visited was Parihaka. So I want to acknowledge Amokura and the introduction that she availed to Parekura and I, with the late Te Miringa “Milton” Hohaia, of the small bit of understanding that we got of Parihaka, a thriving community. In its time, I would call it the metropolis capital of Aotearoa New Zealand. It had its own banks, it had its own flour mills, and it had thriving communities where the people were operating, as we were in that period of time.

I just want to acknowledge the gracefulness, the patience, the giving of the people of Parihaka, as we honour them through the passage of this bill in its third and final reading. Those times that we learnt about Tohu and Te Whiti can only be described as a community of people that were before their time. Their contribution to this nation, the debate, and the processes that they have maintained and upheld, I want to acknowledge in my small contribution this afternoon, and no better than in the legacy statement.

There are two parts that I expressly want to acknowledge, and one is phase 1 in the legacy statement in Schedule 2, which talks about the period between 1813 and 1840 called the upheaval—the violent upheaval from 1813 to 1840—and to recognise that a lot of our iwi around the motu have mamae that happened before the Treaty of Waitangi was signed. There is no mechanism in which we can express the hurt that many of us suffered, and so I want to acknowledge the foresight, the intelligence, and the strategy behind this bill and the people of Parihaka to bring those issues that we are acknowledging through this legislation today. So I want to acknowledge phase 1—the upheaval.

We all have a story in iwi around the country. In my iwi of Rongowhakaata, when a certain ship came in 1769, we called it the collision. So we’re telling our story that wasn’t dissimilar to yours of the upheaval—the violent upheaval. We’re calling it a collision because, as we know, it wasn’t a good exchange, and we need a place in which we acknowledge that. So I want to acknowledge, in this bill, phase 1—the upheaval.

For the other parts, I don’t have time in my one minute left in this contribution to the debate, but I too want to acknowledge phase 9—the aspirations of Parihaka. This is a beautiful piece of work, and I wish that I had the opportunity to read the Māori component of the legacy statement, because the Reo is so beautiful, and I know we’ve got Reo experts up there. I want to acknowledge you for the beautiful way the Reo has been used in the legacy statement, and the English translation doesn’t do it justice. But in terms of phase 9—the aspirations of Parihaka—it’s a beautiful message to leave to our future generations. So all those of Parihaka descent to all the kuras around Parihaka—Taranaki whānui—they should be made to read the legacy statement as part of their curriculum. That’s my challenge.

I honour you today. I salute you. Tēnā koutou katoa.

Kia ora, Madam Speaker. Koutou, Parihaka, i tae mai nei i tēnei wā. I whakarangatira i a mātou, tēnei te mihi ki a koutou.

Ki a koe, Te Ururoa, ngā mihi ki a koe e hoa. Kua rongo mātou te kōrero e pā ana kia Chris Finlayson, tika me tuku mihi ki a ia, engari, mōhio mātou, nāu i tīmata tēnei kaupapa. Mōhio mātou i kōkiri i tēnei kaupapa. Tēnei te mihi ki a koe. Mōhio mātou kei te tino hōhā kia me te kāhui Māori, engari, kua oti tērā kaupapa. Kua oti tērā kaupapa. Kua rongo mātou te kōrero o tō taokete, kua tae ki te wā ki te whakakotahi mō te kaupapa. E tika ana i tēnei wā ki te whakanui i tēnei kaupapa. E tika kia mihi ki a koe e hoa.

Koutou katoa kua tae mai nei—ngā rangatira—ngā mihi ki a koutou. Ki a koe taku hoa, whanaunga, Mahara, ngā mihi e hoa. Maumara tō kōrero i ngā wā o mua e pā ana ki tēnei kaupapa. I maumahara. Tika me mihi ki a koe hoki. Ngā mihi, koutou katoa. Tēnā koutou, tēnā anō tātou katoa.

[You, Parihaka, who have arrived on this day. You have honoured us, thank you.

To you, Te Ururoa, greetings, my friend. We have heard the words of acknowledgment for Chris Finlayson, and that is only right, but we all know that it was you who started this. We all know it was you who pushed for this. I would like to acknowledge you. We all know that there was frustration with the Māori group; however, that matter is closed. That matter is closed. We have heard the words of your in-law that the time has come to unite for the cause. It is only right to celebrate this occasion. It is only right to acknowledge you, my friend.

All of you who have made it here today—the leaders—thank you to you all. To my friend, my relation, Mahara, thank you, my friend. Remember your words from the past regarding this matter. There was remembrance. It is right to acknowledge you, too. Thank you, each and every one of you. Thank you, one and all.]

I was listening to Ruakere Hond’s kaikōrero this morning, and one of the highlights of this kaupapa, as some of our manuhiri will know, is our pōwhiri and our kōrero in the morning. I was listening to him and our other speakers who talked about the mamae—the hurt—who talked about what Parihaka went through, and who then talked about forgiveness and moving on, and I was thinking what a wonderful people we are and how forgiving we are, because my uncle Syd Jackson, who was probably the most well-known Māori activist in the country for a while—Hone Harawira might dispute that, as he disputes many things—and who married into Taranaki, as the whanaunga over here know, always said that the fear of Pākehā New Zealand was that we would treat them how they treated us. When he talked about justice, there was always this fear that Māori would extract utu, and, of course, we don’t, because we all follow the principles of Parihaka.

So that’s why I enjoyed our whai kaikōrero this morning so much. I mihi to all our kaikōrero this morning. It was a real highlight for us to listen to that kōrero.

You know, there’s been some great kōrero this morning, but when I think of Parihaka, I do think of the huge contributors who have come through the years. I was thinking about Milton Hohaia, who used to talk to me about the peace concerts, and I always used to say to him, “You’re not that peaceful a bloke, you know.” We used to have a lot of laughs—a lot of laughs—and I mean that in a fair way. He was a justice fellow—you know, justice was his kaupapa, and he advocated the kaupapa all the time. We used to have laughs aplenty, and he was glad to be peaceful at times, absolutely—particularly when the peace conferences came around. But what an advocate for Parihaka.

So when I think of Parihaka, I think of people like him and the people who carry the message of Parihaka every day, everywhere. I talked about Te Ururoa Flavell, but he married into a whānau that carried the kaupapa, every day. His brother-in-law Ruakere; his wife, Erana; his sister-in-law Aroaro—what a whānau. Ngā mihi ki a koutou.

Of course, I didn’t even mention my mate Howie, who could barely get a word in there—Howie Tamati. Good to see you, brother. Good to see you—and he’s a Parihaka man too, you know. Oh, he’s a bit conflicted. It goes both ways, eh?

But what a whānau who carry the kaupapa of Parihaka. I mihi to you, because that’s how the kaupapa is kept alive every day, everywhere, in the Wellingtons, in the Aucklands, and in the parliaments. Mahara Okeroa was telling me about it when he and I came to Parliament in 1999. He kept reminding me “You’re Taranaki, Mr Ngāti Porou.” “You’re Taranaki, Mr Batley.”, he would say. “Don’t forget your taha Taranaki side.” Mahara, never forget, because you and these others who I am mentioning—Te Ururoa, his whānau—are so important in keeping this spirit alive.

The spirit of Parihaka lives through our people who go into the different areas. Amokura Panoho. Amokura drives me crazy—married into my whānau. Her first cousin married my sister. I’ve known her since I was 16, sadly, and I never ever stopped hearing about the Māori Party, and I’m still listening to the Māori Party. Even today, Amokura was talking about it. But she carries the message of Parihaka everywhere she goes—mana wāhine. Mana wāhine.

My old mate Te Kauhoe Wano and Whare Wano—very quiet today, Whare. Clearly, you must be on a bad behaviour bond or something—it’s not often they shut you right up! But Whare’s here. Every time I look at him, I get sad. I get sad because I see Te Kauhoe. I see Te Kauhoe and it breaks my heart.

I’ve talked about Te Kauhoe in previous speeches, and these two have made, again—I mean, for a little place, Parihaka has made an impression, hasn’t it? You’ve got the Wanos and their TV show, and of course their brother, who I am so proud of, doing the business in terms of Māori health. We’ve got to get a few more strategies going there. Line them up with Peeni Henare, our man who is advocating Māori health. He knows the type of work they’re doing in Taranaki—terrific work in terms of what he’s doing and what the whānau has done. So mihi nui ki a koe, Whare.

This is how the Parihaka story lives on. What a story. I don’t think any small place in New Zealand has had such strong advocates around the country. You know, I can never escape them. Even at Waatea: my management? Parihaka. Kura O’Donnell’s up there in the gallery. You know, she walks around the station chanting Parihaka’s waiata. Again, another advocate for the kaupapa—another advocate for a kaupapa, and she even hitched her husband, Bernie O’Donnell, on to it. I was trying to work out if Bernie was from Parihaka too, but he gave me some long-winded speech. There was some whakapapa thing. But again, these advocates are everywhere—and who can, of course, ever forget Tariana Turia? I mean, it’s just never ending. It’s never ending.

So for me, if you ever wanted a communications person, get someone from Parihaka—get someone from Parihaka. But I want to say today, you know, these types of bills, as Te Ururoa Flavell will acknowledge, are probably the most satisfying bills—satisfying bills, eh, Te Ururoa?—that you could have when you come to Parliament. There is a kotahitanga about it, and it brings us together in terms of a Parliament.

So, you know, here we are today, continually acknowledging Chris Finlayson, for goodness’ sake, from the National Party. It doesn’t matter on this kaupapa, because he’s been such a strong advocate. Andrew Little, of course, who I’m just looking at—thanks very much, Andrew, for your mahi. I know it’s hard in the north particularly, but the Parihaka kaupapa—Peeni Henare’s relations are loving every minute of it. But these are the kaupapa that count. So as I said in my mihi to Te Ururoa—we know how much mahi he did in organising this, in advocating this. We also know about what’s happened in the past in terms of campaigns, but that’s all gone now—that’s all gone now. We are fixed on this issue. We are fixed on this kaupapa. It’s a kaupapa that is about tikanga Māori. It’s a kaupapa that’s about tūturu Māori. It’s a kaupapa of kotahitanga, and it’s great, Te Ururoa, that you brought it to Parliament, that you’ve advocated it, and here we are today celebrating it. I think that’s a victory for all.

Tēnei te mihi ki a koutou, tātou katoa. Tēnā koutou. Tēnā koutou. Tēnā anō tātou katoa.

[This is my acknowledgment to you all, to all of us. Thank you. Thank you, one and all.]

E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā hau e whā, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. I think we’ve heard Willie Jackson at his finest in this House, and it’s normally not a difficult thing to speak after a member of the opposite party, but I thought his kōrero was outstanding, particularly as he talked about the kaupapa of Parihaka and everything that it stands for; everything that it is to us.

I’d like to acknowledge people here today, the people of Parihaka, of course, and the people of Taranaki who are also here in wonderful support. I’d like to acknowledge the Rt Hon Sir Jim Bolger and the Hon Te Ururoa Flavell here in the House. I’m very keen to acknowledge the Hon Mahara Okeroa. I don’t think many people understand, but this man had a huge amount of activity and an important part to play in why we are here today.

I was with the Hon Christopher Finlayson when he heard the news that the Taranaki iwi negotiation had come to a halt until the Crown acknowledged Parihaka. If Mahara hadn’t done that, with the support of Jamie Tuuta and, no doubt, their negotiation team and the good people of Taranaki iwi, we may not be here today. We may have just moved forward, as the machinery of Government can do, but because of this man, we are here today and we have stopped to change history.

When I read the first opening remarks in the apology that the Crown have put into legislation, we have got to understand that the House of Parliament—New Zealand Parliament—legislated against the people of Parihaka, decades and decades and decades ago. It did not work to help; it worked to harm. So what we see today is the House of Parliament, the people of New Zealand represented by members of Parliament here, changing history. It’s ensuring that this place that stands by the rule of law and by the goodness of the rule of law is now helping, supporting, wanting to see healing, wanting to see unity and reconciliation come into our nation.

Of course, the place of Parihaka—so important in New Zealand’s history—in 1866, was founded by those two wonderful Māori statesmen and leaders, Te Whiti o Rongomai and Tohu Kākahi, who instead of doing unto others before they do to you were doing unto others as we would have them do to us. They were men of goodness, men of faith, men of vision, and men who were prepared to stand and support their people and say no to the evil that was before them, but they did it in such a way as to continue to support the kaupapa of peace.

I think, as other people have said in this House, what an incredible and amazing moment in history. Dreadful as it was, it enabled the very spirit of what Parihaka is to emerge and to be kindled—and, as my colleague Willie Jackson has said, through all the years, it has continued to have life and breath and wairua to it. I think that this is the reason why this man and others said—and I honour the people of Taranaki, the Taranaki iwi, who were prepared to put their settlement on hold until this reconciliation took place, because this is pivotal. This is as powerful as the Treaty of Waitangi, because this is something that’s deep, that captures the very mana—I struggle to find words for how important this is—but here we are today.

I think that for those who are in the House today, for those who have spoken today, you cannot find a moment as a member of Parliament where you are honoured to be in this moment of history any more than today.

I want to also acknowledge the Hon Kelvin Davis, and the Hon Andrew Little, for his work he is doing. I want to honour and acknowledge the Hon Chris Finlayson for, I believe, just the share determination to put that which is right. I think it is important for New Zealand. It’s important for the wellbeing—for the fabric of our society. I want to acknowledge Maata, for your wonderful support and for you being here today, and all the leaders who are here today, and the leaders of Taranaki. I want to acknowledge the two new council members of New Plymouth District Council who have come down in the bus today, because they want to continue to support our wonderful community. I want to acknowledge Peter and Howie and Te Ururoa, of course, Whare, and Ruakere, for your amazing leadership that you continue to bring to Taranaki. Without you, without what you do, without the hard work and the willingness to step up and push back against attitudes, we wouldn’t have a region, I think, that is as good and beautiful and wonderful as it is. I think that what we are seeing is the very finest of people of Taranaki here today. So thank you very much for all that you have done.

And, Madam Speaker, thank you for the opportunity I have to be able to stand and support this wonderful, wonderful, piece of legislation that has undone the injuries of the past. My hope and my prayer is that we as a wider Taranaki community continue to support the amazing work of Parihaka—that we would see that incredible kaupapa, that incredible spirit, emerge and bless our region and bless our land. Thank you.

Korōria, hareruria ki a koe, Ihowā o ngā mano. Tuā-uriuri, Whaioio, kī tonu te rangi me te whenua i te nui o tōna korōria. Whakapainga tōna ingoa i te āo, i te pō, i ngā wā katoa.

Whakaūngia ngā kupu o ngā mema Pāremata. Kei roto i tēnei Whare, tēnei wā, ki roto i ngā ngākau o te hunga kua tae mai mai i Parihaka i tēnei wā, nō reira, mā te māngai hei tautoko mai, aianei, ake nei, āe.

[Glory and hallelujah to you, Jesus, Lord of the thousands. To the masses and to the multitudes in heaven and earth, glory be to his name. Give thanks to his name day and night and at all times.

Embed the words of the members of Parliament. In this House, at this time, and in the hearts of those who have travelled here from Parihaka today, therefore, may the spirit protect us, now and always; now and forever, amen.]

I thought I’d start off my contribution with a whakamoemiti, because I always get a bit worried when my colleague the Hon Willie Jackson speaks on bills from my electorate—not the least because I often get emails about some of the things he says within his contributions. I just want to say: if he’s offended anyone today, please feel free to send him the email!

I want to join together with every member in the House that has acknowledged people who have been involved in Te Pire Haeata ki Parihaka—every single one of them. I’m not going to rename them. I want to but join together, as the final speaker in this debate, and just say that across this entire House, it is a privilege to speak on this, and we acknowledge every contribution that has been made to make this day possible. I can’t go beyond the contributions that have been made today. Being the last speaker in this debate, everything has really been said, but I do want to highlight a couple of things.

A number of people have quoted Ruakere Hond and his contribution to the pōwhiri this morning. I think one of the things he said was, “Ko tēnei te tīmatanga o te Aranga.” [This is the beginning of Easter.] I want to really concentrate my contribution around what that means to me and, in particular, link it with the deed of reconciliation—the Kawenata ō Rongo. In my first reading contribution, I did speak about one of the principles that is in that document, and I want to highlight one now as well. That principle is the principle of oranga tonutanga—really speaking about the future. In the description, it talks about “The vision and understanding inherent within this principled practice will extend … over … generations.”

I want that to be my contribution to this debate, because this is not about today; this is really about the future. We’ve heard contributions from the likes of Marama Davidson and others who really talked about historical and intergenerational trauma—the things that happened that are carried on generation to generation. We have to do that. We can’t forget that that happened. But I love that within this deed of reconciliation, Kawenata ō Rongo, it talks about taking that principled view over a longer period of time into the future, and that will be carried by the rangatahi now, tamariki, mokopuna, and future generations. I love the fact that there’s absolute certainty that that will happen, because you would not have otherwise put it in this document. That tells me that there’s a huge hope for the wellbeing of the future.

I think it’s incumbent upon this House to make certain that the apology is real, that it never happens again, and that this House does not pass laws which affect badly the people of Parihaka, because, if we do, it will become meaningless. So it’s really important that this House lives up to the words of this debate. That’s why I said, “Whakaūngia ngā kupu tika ki roto i ngā ngākau.” [Make the words go straight to the heart.] I want that to be the legacy of this debate: to join with the legacy of Parihaka to make certain that the future wellbeing of all of the generations of those connected to Parihaka are secure.

I don’t want to talk too long, actually. I think the waiting for this day to come has been long enough, and I think, in the last few moments, I just want to reiterate that one message—that the future of the people in Parihaka is secured and that this House won’t do anything that impacts on the people of Parihaka, and, better still, that the Government of today, and future Governments, work positively with the whānau of Parihaka so that their aspirations can be achieved.

Nō reira, kāore e roa tēnei tū. Otirā, e tika ana kia tuku mihi atu anō ki te tokomaha o rātou mā kua tae mai ki tēnei Whare Pāremata. Nō reira, huri rauna Te Whare nei, tēnā rā tātou i runga i te tukunga iho o rātou mā, i te wāhi ngaro, tēnā rā tātou katoa.

[Therefore, I will not continue for much longer. It is only right to acknowledge the many of you who have made it to Parliament. Therefore, to everyone in this House, and with the divine protection of those who have passed on, thank you, one and all.]

Members, before I put the final vote on the Parihaka Reconciliation Bill, I just want to advise everyone that, immediately following the vote, permission has been given for both a waiata and drumming.

Bill read a third time.

Waiata